Rotary drain and sewer cleaner



J. HOKE ROTARY DRAIN AND SEWER CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1922 N am Suva-How,

Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH HOKE, 0]? UNION CITY, INDIANA;

RQTARY DRAIN AND SEWER CLEANER.

Application filed September 23, 1922. Serial No. 590,119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Home, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union City, in the county of Randolph and State of Indiana, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Drain and Sewer Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description-of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

My invention relates to rotary cutters, and has for an object the production of a boring tool of spiral construction, together with novel means for mounting the same in operative position.

The invention is applicable to a variet of uses wherein rotary cutters are require but is especially arranged, desi ned and adapted for use in clearing un erground drain ipes, sewers or other conduits, of obstructions, particularly the roots of trees and bushes which so frequently gain entrance through pipe joints, or through cracked or defective tile.

To remove obstructions of the character indicated, it is fretpliently necessary according, to present met ods to tear u and disfigure lawns or sidewalks in an e ort to 10- cats and remove such obstructions, but my present invention makes it possible to operate at either or both ends of a line of drain tile for example, without in the leastwise disturbing the earth above. Likewise the present rotar spiral cutter may be-intro duced into a ine of sewer pipe from an ordinary manhole, at the'mouth of a drain, or at its opposite end from within the walls of a cellar. This accomplished, it is a further object of the invention to then advance said rotary cutter by means of sectional flexible push rods, or by other means, thereby cutting its course through the ob jectionable obstructions as will later appear With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention will now be particularly described and then pointed out in the claims following.

In the accom anying drawings which form part of this a lication for Letters Patent, and whereon e characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal secciional View on a relatively enlarged scale; an

Figure 3 is a'transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-'3-of Figure 2.

Reference being had to the drawings and numerals thereon, 5 indicates a duplex spiral cutter which tapers from its shank 6 to its outer advance end 7 as shown by Figure 1. The said shank 7 is grooved circumferentially as-at 8, and is formed with an integral concentric projection or shaft 9 reduced as at 10, and having formed thereon two annular integral shoulders or enlargements 11 and 12, spaced apart as shown, thus forming an intermediate key-groove 13, for purposes which will later appear.

Surrounding said shaft 9 and its integral spaced shoulders 11 and 12 aforesaid, 1s a cylindrical sleeve 14, which, at one end, is seated in the circumferential groove 8 at end of the shank 6, and at its opposite end is threaded as at 15. Just above the threads 15 this sleeve 14 is broken by oppositel disposed rectangular openings 17, throug each of which corresponding retaining keys 18. 18, are introduced into the ke groove 13. These keys 18 are of rectangu ar cross sectional form, but are curved upon their inner and outer edges to conform to the shaft 9 upon which they loosely rest, as also with the curvature of'the outer circumference of the sleeve 14, and are of a depth to snugly fill the openings 17 in said sleeve when in operative position.

Over the elements last described there is secured a key-cover and reducing coupling 19 of tubular form. This latter member is threaded interiorly as at 20 for engagement with the exterior threads 15 of the sleeve 14, and when in the working position shown by Figure 2, it not only covers the retaining keys 18, 18, but, by agency thereof, securely locks the rotary cutter 5 to its relatively fixed shank 6.

Within neck 21, of the cover-coupling 19 there is fixed a ball race 22, and interposed between this fixed ball race and the rotary endof the cutter shaft 9 is a ball bearing 23 upon which the rotary cutter may freely 'turn. And as a means of advancing't-he entire cutter a drive-shaft 24 is threaded into the neck of coupling 19 at 25.

In operation my im roved rotary spiral cutter 5 may be intro uced into an underground open drain-pipe for example, and

advanced by ressure ap lied to the drive shaft 24, whic may be flexible material, or made up of shortarticulating sections.

Upon meeting an obstruction of roots, or other foreign matter, a thrust of said shaft causes the du lex blade to cut its way through said 0 struction by ashearing movement either forward or backward, or both forward and backward, according tothe necessities of the case.

During such shearing and clearing action the duplex-cutter 5 rotates with relation to sleeve 14, keys 18, coupling 19, and drive shaft 24, upon the thrust-bearing at the end of cutter shaft 9, upon ball 23, affording a freedom of action which contributes materially to the general efliciencyof the invention. v I

Having thus described my invention, its

use andoperationin one form of embodi' ment,"what I now claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a drain and sewer cleaner the combination with a duplex rotary cutter gradually tapering in form from its shank to its cutting extremit of a centrally positioned unitary bearing all upon which said cutter freel rotates, a drive shaft, and a suitable coup ing for connecting said shaft and cutter.

2. In a drain and sewer cleaner the combination with a rotary cutter, a shaft integral with said cutter, a key-way in said shaft, a sleeve surrounding the cutter shaft, keys interposedbetween said sleeve and key- Way, and a drive shaft for operatively advancing the structure. r

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in ,presence of two subscribing-witnesses.

CLARA D. RICHTER, WILLIAM W. Fowmm. 

